Quickflix

Quickflix was an Australian home-entertainment company best known for combining DVD and Blu-ray rental by mail with online movie and television streaming. Founded in Perth in 2003 by Bill Keech, Sam McDonagh and Stephen Langsford, the business initially used a subscription queue model: customers selected titles online, received discs through Australia Post in prepaid envelopes, and returned them when finished so that the next available title could be dispatched. The model did not impose conventional due dates or late fees, although subscribers were limited in the number of discs they could hold at one time. Simon Hodge joined the founding group soon after launch and remained associated with the company as a long-serving executive and director. Quickflix expanded through acquisition and digital experimentation. Its 2005 purchase of rival HomeScreen substantially increased its customer base, while the launch of online movie downloads in 2006 marked an early attempt to move beyond physical media. In 2011 the company acquired the DVD library of BigPond Movies after that service withdrew from disc rental, and it launched a subscription streaming product later that year. Streaming initially emphasized connected Sony devices before expanding to computers, PlayStation 3, Samsung televisions and mobile devices, Xbox 360, and other internet-connected hardware. The service offered a library included with a subscription alongside newer or premium titles available for an additional per-title fee. Customers could also combine streaming and disc-rental plans. The company entered New Zealand in 2012 and attracted a strategic investment of A$10 million from HBO, which also provided access to parts of HBO's programme catalogue. Quickflix developed licensing relationships involving distributors and studios including Disney, NBCUniversal, BBC Worldwide and Lionsgate. By June 2014 it reported more than 182,000 subscribers and was regarded as Australia's leading streaming service. Its position deteriorated rapidly as the Australian market became more competitive. Netflix entered Australia in 2015, while Presto and Stan also competed for online-video customers; Stan was connected to Quickflix's major shareholder, Nine Entertainment. Quickflix experienced severe financial and governance pressure. HBO sold its stake to Nine Entertainment in 2014 for A$1 million, a fraction of HBO's original investment. The company later argued that the structure of Nine's shareholding restricted its ability to raise capital for programming and marketing, while Nine disputed or resisted proposed restructuring arrangements. Quickflix also reported that a possible deal with Presto and a planned acquisition involving a Chinese film and media company did not proceed. In April 2016 it entered voluntary administration. Karma Media Holdings acquired the business in October 2016, and Quickflix relaunched in December with a revised streaming proposition. The relaunch included the basic movie library and up to four premium-title rentals per month, alongside a stronger emphasis on new releases. Over time, however, the service's streaming catalogue was updated less frequently and the business increasingly returned to a niche disc-rental operation. Quickflix was delisted from the ASX in 2017. EnergyAustralia filed a winding-up application in May 2021, and the company was wound up by court order in September 2021. Quickflix's history reflects the transition from physical rental to streaming in Australia, as well as the difficulty a small local provider faced when global and heavily capitalized competitors entered the market.

Quickflix began in Perth, Western Australia, in 2003 as an online DVD-rental company. Its core proposition was a subscription queue: customers ranked films online, received available DVDs or Blu-ray discs by post, and returned them in prepaid envelopes. The company then sent the next available title. Customers could retain discs without formal late fees, subject to limits on the number of discs held simultaneously. Bill Keech, Sam McDonagh and Stephen Langsford founded the business, with Simon Hodge joining soon after its establishment. The company pursued scale and digital distribution during the 2000s. It acquired HomeScreen in December 2005, approximately doubling its customer base, and introduced online movie downloads in 2006. Quickflix listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2005. In 2011 it acquired BigPond Movies' library after that service abandoned DVD-by-mail rental. Quickflix also launched subscription streaming on 27 October 2011, initially through selected Sony connected devices, later adding computers, PlayStation 3, Samsung products, Xbox 360 and other platforms. Its streaming model combined an included library, generally weighted toward older films, with premium titles charged separately. Quickflix expanded into New Zealand in March 2012. HBO invested A$10 million that month, giving the Australian company both capital and access to HBO catalogue content. Quickflix also negotiated content arrangements involving Disney, NBCUniversal, BBC Worldwide and Lionsgate. The service reached more than 182,000 subscribers by June 2014, but its growth weakened as content costs, capital requirements and competition intensified. HBO sold its stake to Nine Entertainment in July 2014 for A$1 million. The following year Netflix entered Australia, while Presto and Stan added further competition. Quickflix lost subscribers and struggled to fund the content and marketing investment required to keep pace. In April 2016 Quickflix entered voluntary administration. The company attributed much of its difficulty to its relationship with Nine Entertainment, alleging that the structure of Nine's stake impeded new capital raising. Quickflix said that proposed alternatives involving a payment to Nine or the transfer of customers to Stan were unacceptable, and that Nine had blocked a possible Presto transaction. A planned acquisition involving an unnamed Chinese film and media company also failed to proceed. Karma Media Holdings acquired the company in October 2016, and the service relaunched in December with a revised plan combining the standard streaming library with up to four premium movie rentals each month. Quickflix was delisted from the ASX in 2017. In later years its streaming catalogue received fewer updates and the business increasingly relied on postal disc rental for a smaller specialist customer base. EnergyAustralia filed a winding-up application in May 2021, and Quickflix was wound up by court order in September 2021. The company remains significant in Australian digital-media history as an early local streaming operator, but its eventual failure illustrated the commercial pressure created by global platforms and larger domestic rivals.

• 2021

  Winding-up order

  [1]Quickflixen.wikipedia.org

  Quickflix is wound up by court order in September.

• 2017

  ASX delisting

  [1]Quickflixen.wikipedia.org

  Quickflix is delisted from the Australian Securities Exchange.

• 2016

  Administration and relaunch

  [1]Quickflixen.wikipedia.org

  Quickflix enters voluntary administration, is acquired by Karma Media Holdings, and relaunches later that year.

• 2014

  Subscriber peak and change in major investor

  [1]Quickflixen.wikipedia.org

  The company reports more than 182,000 subscribers, while Nine Entertainment acquires HBO's stake.

• 2012

  New Zealand expansion and HBO investment

  [1]Quickflixen.wikipedia.org

  Quickflix enters New Zealand and receives a strategic A$10 million investment from HBO.

• 2011

  Streaming service launches

  [1]Quickflixen.wikipedia.org

  Quickflix launches subscription streaming and acquires the BigPond Movies DVD library.

• 2006

  Digital movie downloads begin

  [1]Quickflixen.wikipedia.org

  Quickflix expands from physical rental into online movie downloads.

• 2005

  HomeScreen acquisition and ASX listing

  [1]Quickflixen.wikipedia.org

  Quickflix acquires HomeScreen and lists on the Australian Securities Exchange.

• 2003

  Quickflix is founded

  [1]Quickflixen.wikipedia.org

  Quickflix launches in Perth as an online DVD-rental business.

A convenient, locally operated home-entertainment service combining postal disc rental with subscription and transactional online video. In its later years, Quickflix increasingly served a niche audience seeking physical movie rental and access to selected film titles.

• DVD and Blu-ray rental · 2003

  Quickflix Queue

  The Queue was the central interface for Quickflix's postal rental service. Subscribers ranked desired DVD and Blu-ray titles online, and Quickflix dispatched the next available disc. Returned discs were sent in reply-paid envelopes, allowing the company to continue processing the customer's ranked list. The service generally operated without formal due dates or late fees, but subscribers were limited in the number of discs they could hold.

• Subscription video-on-demand · 2011

  Quickflix streaming

  Launched in Australia in 2011, Quickflix streaming offered an included catalogue of films and, at different stages, television programming. Newer or premium titles could be rented for an additional charge, and some titles could be purchased without a streaming subscription. The service supported connected televisions, game consoles, computers, mobile devices, tablets and Blu-ray players. After the 2016 relaunch, the catalogue focused on movies rather than television series.

• Bundled home entertainment subscription

  Combined streaming and disc rental plans

  Quickflix allowed customers to combine its streaming subscription with postal DVD or Blu-ray rental, generally at a discounted combined rate. This offering reflected the company's attempt to serve households moving gradually from physical media to online video rather than abandoning discs immediately.

• Subscription and premium rental · 2016

  Quickflix relaunched streaming plan

  Following Karma Media Holdings' acquisition, Quickflix relaunched with a streaming plan that included the standard movie library and up to four premium-title rentals per month. The revised proposition placed greater emphasis on newer film releases while retaining the subscription catalogue.

• 2016

  Administration and ownership restructuringStrategy

  Background

  Subscriber losses, competition, capital constraints and disputes surrounding the company's major shareholder left Quickflix unable to sustain its existing strategy.

  Action taken

  Quickflix entered voluntary administration in April, then was acquired by Karma Media Holdings in October.

  Aftermath

  The business relaunched in December with a revised streaming offer, but later concentrated increasingly on niche postal disc rental before ultimately being wound up.

  Aggregate net losses. More than A$40 million in total losses (Five years to 2015)

  Source

• 2012

  Expansion into New ZealandStrategy

  Background

  After establishing streaming in Australia, Quickflix sought additional scale in a nearby English-speaking market.

  Action taken

  Quickflix launched its streaming service in New Zealand.

  Aftermath

  New Zealand became one of the company's operating markets, but the expansion did not prevent later financial deterioration.

  Source

• 2011

  Launch of subscription streamingProduct launch

  Background

  Quickflix was transitioning from postal rental toward digital delivery as internet-connected televisions, game consoles and mobile devices became more widely used.

  Action taken

  The company introduced a subscription streaming service, initially on selected Sony devices and later across additional platforms.

  Aftermath

  Streaming became a major part of the brand's proposition and enabled expansion into New Zealand, although the company later faced stronger competition from larger platforms.

  Source

1. 1Quickflixen.wikipedia.org